Black Watch Tartan choice

**Dirk95** · 1st October 17, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by figheadair

You father was probably in or had a Black Watch kilt which was Government Tartan No1. The Argylls wore Government Tartan No 1A (lighter green) and this is that version that the RRS wear.

He was in the 2nd battalion, and joined in 1946, at Perth, and served in the partition of India and other theatres. I know he was not happy at the amalgamation, I can still hear him raving about it, really proud o f his regiment. wasn't sure on the numbers was the weight around 22oz.
Dirk95
(Derek W)

**OC Richard** · 1st October 17, 06:07 PM

House Of Edgar makes tartan very similar to the traditional military fabric.

Not quite 22 ounce, the fabric they make is 18 ounce. It has the extra-large sett size and slightly fuzzy surface of the old Other Ranks fabric.

If you didn't want to go with the same sort of look and feel of your father's kilt, the Black Watch tartan is available in various attractive colour-schemes such as Ancient, Weathered/Reproduction, and Muted.

**Dirk95** · 2nd October 17, 03:33 AM

OC thanks for the info have to have a good think about it, I would like to get one only for his memory and I do like the tartan

**Tobus** · 2nd October 17, 06:51 AM

Originally Posted by Dirk95

...I have noticed that there are a lot of you guys across the water have kilts in the Black Watch tartan or have ex army kilts in the same, just wondered what made you choose that tartan, just my curiosity...

Black Watch has long been considered a universal tartan, and is often mentioned or advertised as the most universal of all the universal tartans. If one has no affiliation to any clan, organisation, or region that other tartans represent, the default answer is to wear Black Watch. Virtually every off-the-rack kilt shop or tat shop will carry kilts in Black Watch. I'm not sure how it became such a universal tartan, but it is. Even people who don't know beans about Scotland or tartans will at least know what Black Watch tartan is.

**OC Richard** · 2nd October 17, 04:36 PM

Here's the House Of Edgar regimental weight tartans.

In the image here it looks too blue. The cloth in person isn't like that, but has the normal colours of the traditional regimental Black Watch fabric.

http://www.houseofedgar.com/acatalog/Tartans1.html

I have a kilt that House Of Edgar made for me from the regimental Royal Stewart tartan. They put on the grass-green binding which is typical on traditional military kilts. The kilt is wonderful, quite heavy and traditional-looking.

**Luke MacGillie** · 2nd October 17, 06:33 PM

I prefer lighter shades, but that's just me.

**IsaacW** · 2nd October 17, 06:55 PM

I recently made an older style 4 yard box-pleat kilt of the HoE 18oz. tartan. I also have another started for myself that I need to finish someday.

**IsaacW** · 2nd October 17, 06:59 PM

**OC Richard** · 3rd October 17, 06:50 AM

My understanding is that the sett-size of military tartan continued to get larger as the 19th century progressed, which led in turn to the yardage increasing, due to the kilts being pleated to the stripe.

My House Of Edgar regimental Royal Stewart kilt has nearly a 10-inch sett.

It's one of the many interesting things about The Highlanders Of Scotland portraits, the larger variety of sett sizes seen in men's kilts than one usually sees today.

**Tartan Guy** · 13th October 17, 06:13 PM

Derek,

I donned the Black Watch tartan as a compromise. I'm a US Army vet and my wife was a Campbell so I split the difference and went with Black Watch. It also goes well with my S.A.M.S. uniform shirts.

Cheers,

Tartan Guy